Resorting to Romance

by Franky A Brown

  “Honesty. Be straight with your clients and they will respect you for it.” Victoria placed a hand over her heart. “Once again, my agent Luke is a superb example of integrity. I will count myself blessed if I am ever able to call such an honorable man my son-in-law.”

  Oh boy. Luke ran a hand down his face.

  Should he rip the Band-Aid off and tell Victoria that he and Gina were over? All caution to the salty sea wind, he’d either be fired immediately or forced to listen to another speech like this with a very negative spin on his qualities.

  Thirty minutes had been scheduled for Victoria’s speech, and forty-five minutes later…Luke had heard his name probably fifty times. He didn’t think he’d get as much praise from his grandma.

  I am sooo getting fired.

  “I hope you gather all the wisdom you can during this conference to be the best you can be.” Victoria finally closed her notebook. “Thank you.”

  “Quite a speech.” Kelly tapped her pencil on the table, glancing between Luke and Josie. “Better or worse than being chased by that shark?”

  Josie busied herself adjusting her name badge.

  Miranda giggled.

  Fortunately, there was no time to talk before the next speaker began. This speech focused on investments to make in yourself. Luke was happy to listen to anything that didn’t mention him. He wanted to pull off his badge before making his way out of there. There was an off chance that someone in there might not have craned his or her neck to see who Victoria was pointing out in her endless lecture.

  His phone vibrated with another text from Gina.

  I miss you.

  He was momentarily tempted to text her back, lead her on to keep his job a little longer. He could really use more time, despite the humiliation that was Victoria’s favoritism. He knew now for certain he couldn’t stay with her company whether he stayed with Gina or not. He needed to go out on his own as soon as possible.

  There was no way he could be anything but honest with Gina and he knew it.

  He texted back and repeated what he’d already told her in person.

  I’m sorry, Gina. You deserve someone who really loves you. Thank you for keeping this quiet for now.

  Gina responded: Make sure you remember our deal.

  I will.

  She was such a jealous person. She thought the moment word spread that he was single at the beach, he’d be pounced on from all sides.

  How much time was realistic to expect from her before she cracked? Hopefully, he could still get the commission from the sale closing at the end of the week.

  He watched Josie doodling in a notebook and sighed. He wanted so much to tell her he was leaving. There was no need for her to feel threatened by him anymore.

  She lifted her eyes and saw him watching her. He tried again to smile but she looked away.

  Would she still want to go on the boat with him that evening? He was starting to doubt it.

  Joselyn spent the short drive over to the dock second-guessing herself, but she pressed forward. Once she arrived at the dock to check in, Joselyn gave her name at the window of the little hut at the front.

  The elderly woman behind the window ran a finger down a spreadsheet in front of her. “Joselyn Bell. Yes, I see you. I have you down for a romantic dinner reservation with Luke Callaway.”

  “Did you say a romantic dinner?” Joselyn dropped her purse and bent quickly to snatch it up. “That’s a mistake. Luke and I had a bad experience on a kayak yesterday, and the hotel was kind enough to give us a sailboat cruise to make up for it. It wasn’t supposed to be anything romantic. We’re here for a conference; we work together. We don’t even get along most of the time.”

  The woman watched Joselyn, waiting.

  “We aren’t a couple.”

  “I’m sorry if there has been a misunderstanding, ma’am, but you aren’t booked on a sailboat. The Neptune is a luxury ferry cruise. You have a private table in a room with a spectacular view.”

  “Hey, Josie.” Luke came up behind her in a nice button-down shirt and khaki pants. “Everything okay?”

  Joselyn’s heart flipped as she caught a whiff of his cologne. His hair was combed to the side, and the blue hue in his button-down shirt brought out his eyes. Her stomach churned. She had come for a sailboat ride, not a romantic dinner cruise. And Luke absolutely looked and smelled the part of a romantic date.

  “But we’re colleagues,” she said to no one in particular.

  “Yes…” Luke’s forehead wrinkled as he tilted his head. “We are.”

  “Did you want to cancel the reservation, ma’am?” asked the woman in the hut.

  “No, no, don’t cancel.” Luke waved his hand. “Are we checked in?”

  The woman nodded. “Yes, sir. You can board now.”

  “Thank you.” Luke grasped Joselyn’s hand and led her down the boardwalk. “Come on, Josie, it’s our once-in-a-lifetime shark-attack-apology free ride.”

  “There’s been a mistake.”

  Luke rolled his eyes. “Is this about Victoria’s stupid speech? Don’t miss out on this because of me.”

  “No, it’s not you. They put us down for…” How could she explain it? It was too embarrassing.

  They were at the entrance to the ship before she could decide what to say.

  “Greetings, and welcome aboard.” A man in a blue-and-white uniform waved them up the ramp into the ferry.

  As they stepped aboard they were greeted by a second man in a uniform. “Names, please?”

  “Luke Callaway and Joselyn Bell.” Luke placed his hands in his pockets as he gazed around the ship.

  “Right this way,” the man said. Luke and Joselyn followed him through a glass door, through a small hall, and then into a room with glass walls overlooking the blue-gray water. A small table for two had tea candles in small jars in the center surrounded by rose petals.

  Four bouquets of red roses were in vases attached to a non-glass wall behind them.

  “What is this?” Luke looked around the room and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Uh, there’s something I need to tell you.” She lifted her hand, the impulse to chew on a nail strong, but she dropped it back to her side. “Somehow they booked us for a romantic dinner.”

  “Oh, really?” Luke chuckled. “I didn’t know we’d get dinner too. Sweet.”

  “You’re cool with this?”

  “Cool with a cruise on the water and a free dinner? Oh, yeah.” He placed his arm around her, only lightly touching her as he led her to one of the chairs. Why was she wearing another sundress with such thin straps? His arm across her shoulders sent tingles through her skin. She didn’t at all hate being close enough to catch more of his sweet scent. But this wasn’t good. She wasn’t supposed to find him attractive.

  He pulled out the chair for her, and she sank into it, taking a deep breath through her nose. It was this place. The ferry, the candles, the rose-filled private room with an ocean view. It was a setup. She could find herself attracted to anyone in such circumstances.

  “It won’t be that bad, Josie.” He sat across from her and grinned. “There’s no shark this time.”

  Luke watched Josie hug herself tightly and purse her lips. She clearly didn’t like this at all. Sure, it was unexpected, but he couldn’t resist finding the situation humorous. He’d been in far more awkward positions than this.

  “They think we’re a couple.” Josie glanced back at the door they’d come through.

  “Should we play the part or just laugh about it?”

  “Are you serious?”

  Her widened eyes made him chuckle. “I never joke about laughing. We could argue really loudly if you want.”

  A young woman came in carrying a bottle and two wine glasses. “May I offer you something to drink? This is our finest—”

  “Ice water with lemon, please.” Josie fiddled with a button on her dress.

  She always spoke too fast when she was nervous. Luke had hoped joking would
lighten the mood. She looked amazing in sky blue; the curls in her hair fell perfectly around her shoulders. His heart skipped in his chest and he forced himself to look away. No one knew about his breakup with Gina. The last thing he needed was for Josie, Victoria, or anyone else to suspect that he was attracted to Josie.

  He decided to follow her lead. Maybe it would help. What was an unromantic beverage? “I’ll just have a Coke.”

  Their server wrinkled her nose. “Okay, dinner will be out shortly.”

  “What is on the menu this evening?” Luke asked.

  “Salmon, grilled with a rosemary lemon sauce.”

  “Sounds delicious.”

  The young woman turned to go, then paused at the doorway. “The entertainment will be here momentarily.”

  “Great.” Luke gave the server a thumbs-up, then turned to Josie. “We even get free entertainment.”

  She grimaced. “If someone comes in here with a violin, we should run out of here.”

  “We can take a walk around the boat. But I don’t want to miss the salmon.”

  Josie concentrated on the window, sitting rigidly in her chair. She needed a distraction. Luke pulled out his phone and did a few internet searches for statistics of shark encounters. “It says here, according to the infinite wisdom of the web, that we are more likely to be struck by lightning than to be attacked by a shark.” He put the phone down and smiled, hoping she would relax. “We got lucky, huh?”

  She turned to him and released her arms’ tight hold around herself, her lips curling upward. “Maybe the shark was having a bad day.”

  “And we made it even worse by not being an easy snack for him. I bet we are delicious.”

  “Stop.” She broke out into a bigger smile.

  In walked a string quartet, each member in a black tie. Great. Just when he’d gotten Josie to relax a little. Now the color drained from her face as the musicians began.

  “Hey, thanks, guys, for coming,” he said to the group. Luke stood up and reached out for Josie’s hand. “Josie here is feeling a little seasick.” She truly was turning a shade of green. “We’re going out to take a little walk. Sorry about that.”

  He led her outside into the salty sea air and let go of the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding until he let go of her hand. They certainly knew what they were doing putting a romantic cruise together. In different circumstances, he would have enjoyed having dinner across from a beautiful woman in such a perfect setting. He swiped a hand through his hair. Of course, it would be preferable if the woman wasn’t repulsed by the idea of having a romantic evening with him. She also thought he was with the broker’s daughter, and he’d promised not to tell anyone. Nothing about it was ideal and he hated the situation he was in, all of his own making.

  Josie leaned against the railing and peered out over the water. The sun hung low in the sky, preparing to set over their not-so-romantic cruise.

  “I’m sorry if I made things awkward, Josie.” He leaned over the railing and they both gazed out at the horizon. “It’s not the first time I’ve ended up at an unexpected romantic dinner.”

  He wanted to tell her this, hoping it would help. But he also really wanted her to know for some reason.

  Josie faced him and lifted one eyebrow. “Really? Do tell.”

  He breathed in deeply. “Well, months ago I was called over to check out a house for a potential client who wanted to sell. When I arrived at the house, the lady turned out to be…” He wanted so much to say it was Gina. “Someone I’d met briefly at a party. She wanted me to sell her house and had a four-course meal for us to have while we discussed it. It was a candlelit dinner with Kenny G playing in the background.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “Wish I was, believe me. It was awkward.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I ate and tried to be as professional as possible with her staring at me the entire time.”

  Josie giggled. “Sorry, I can’t help it.”

  “I understand. I’m very nearly at a place where I can laugh about it.”

  “Try it. Maybe it will be cleansing.”

  He gave her a small chuckle. “So, this seems pretty tame compared to that experience.”

  “Did you sell her house?”

  Luke paused. “Uh, yeah, I did.”

  He’d leave out the part about how he’d been stupid enough to let Gina charm him into dating her.

  “Hey, look, there’s a dolphin over there!” Josie stretched out her arm and pointed out to see.

  Luke didn’t see anything for a moment. Then a dolphin leaped out of the water and dove down, seeming to slice through the surface. “Oh, yeah. There’s more.” He pointed toward them and they saw at least four more, leaping and diving in the waves.

  “Beautiful,” Josie whispered. “Have you been down here before?”

  “Not this far south in Florida. I’ve been to Panama City and Pensacola.” He watched the dolphins, glancing at her in his periphery. “What do you do for fun, Josie?”

  “Honestly, it’s been a while since I let myself have fun.” She scoffed. “People call me a workaholic, and I think they’re right. I wasn’t always that way.” She turned to him. “It’s easier to work and keep busy than it is to take a break when you have a lot on your mind.”

  “What’s been on your mind?” He clasped his hands together, leaning his arms over the railing.

  She shook her head. “It’s in the past.”

  “Does that mean you’re going to let yourself have fun now?”

  “This is technically a work trip. But it is a goal of mine to do something relaxing this week. Kayaking was supposed to be fun.”

  “Yeah, that didn’t exactly work out well. At least this cruise gives us an activity that doesn’t include shark teeth.”

  She laughed and her smile nearly took his breath away.

  “Hey, uh, I’d really like to explain what happened with the Cloverfield house.”

  Her smile faded. “Okay, go ahead.”

  “It was my grandmother’s house. She was moving into assisted living and wanted to sell it fast. She insisted I drop the price so drastically and I agreed. I didn’t realize at the time you had listings in the area that this would cause problems for. It was a really stressful time for us. Grandma needed so much help and I tried to do it all, but I couldn’t. I was worrying about getting her settled in a nice place, and I honestly wasn’t thinking about anyone else right then. I’m truly sorry about that.” He held her gaze, nearly losing himself for a moment in her gray eyes.

  “Oh my goodness, Luke. I’m so sorry about your grandmother. Is she okay?”

  “She is in her early nineties and has a hard time with a lot of daily tasks with her arthritis. But she is in an excellent place now and getting everything she needs.”

  “I’m glad.” Josie nodded. “I understand. I think it’s wonderful you’re taking care of her.” She paused. “I’m really sorry I didn’t let you explain before. I thought you dropped the price because…uh, never mind.” She shook her head. “I was wrong. I was angry because it was a huge loss for me. Neither property appraised for its listing price and the sellers blamed me. We all lost money.”

  “I really am sorry, Josie. About everything.” He wanted to tell her he’d probably not be keeping his job because he’d just dumped the boss’s daughter, but it wasn’t something he could say yet.

  “Thank you for explaining about your grandmother’s house.” She turned to face him. “I’m glad we talked.”

  “Me too.” Luke nodded and watched as she slid a lock of hair behind her ear. Luke stared a bit too long at the way the golden highlights sparkled in the sunlight.

  “How about if Victoria refers another client to me, I’ll suggest you instead?”

  Josie sighed heavily. “Thanks, but I doubt that will work. I’ve been with Victoria for seven years.” She lifted her chin. “This isn’t anything I can’t handle.”

  Luke’s lip lifted in a half smi
le. “I wish things had turned out differently.”

  Someone turned on the radio and it sounded from the large speakers on the deck. Josie started rocking her head back and forth to the beat of a popular rock song.

  “You like this one, huh?”

  She grinned at him and began to sing along. She knew every word. He knew the chorus, so he tried to join in. Singing wasn’t his talent in life, but he gave it his all.

  By the second verse, Josie was really into it and singing louder, still rocking to the beat in place.

  He couldn’t resist taking her hand and spinning her around. Unsure of how she would react, he grinned when he saw her ease into the dance with him. It would be a vast understatement to say it was rare to see her loosening up. He liked seeing her having fun. He slipped an arm around her waist and they moved to the music. Josie kept singing and Luke danced her around the deck.

  A couple not far away were pointing and smiling at them. They probably looked ridiculous with their bad dancing and enthusiastic singing, but Luke didn’t care. He wanted to watch Josie have fun.

  Chapter Seven

  By the time Joselyn sat down to eat the salmon dinner, the romantic setting had lost its awkwardness. She was finally seeing the humor in the situation, and she thought Luke was too. He sat across from her with casual smile.

  “How are you liking the conference so far?”

  Joselyn wobbled her right hand from side to side. “Okay so far. I thought I might learn more from that FHA loan seminar, but it wasn’t anything new for me.”

  “Are you signed up for Kelly’s class tomorrow on staging?”

  “No, I’m pretty good at staging. I signed up for nearly every other class happening at this conference though.”

  Luke’s eyes bulged. “Did you leave any time for a break besides tonight?”

  “During the day, I’m focusing on the conference. I’ll vacation in the evenings.”

  “I’m sure you don’t need to take every class.”